He just shakes his head and looks at me like I’m crazy, which makes me laugh. “Never going to happen. Are you happy, angel?”
“I’m so incredibly happy, Joker. With you and with Bailey, everything just feels right. I know I fought you at first, but I was just scared. I know now that it was all for nothing. You have shown me what it means to be loved, and I’m going to cherish that for the rest of my life. I love you so much.”
I watch as he swallows hard, my words sinking in. “For years I was just going through the motions until I walked into your bakery and there you were with a smile on your face, looking like an angel with flour on your face. I knew right then and there you were it for me. I knew I was going to do whatever it took for you to see the real me. It might have taken some time, and me getting banned every day, but I’m glad we are here now. I love you with everything in me, and now that you're wearing my cut, soon you will wear my ring, and when you're ready, we can have a baby because I want it all with you, Madison.”
Oh Lord, here come more tears. I swear that’s all I seem to do lately. “What if I say I’m ready for it all now?” I don’t want to wait. With Joker, I want it all. Some people might think we are crazy, but who cares? What matters is that we are happy.
His body stiffens, and he pulls back. “Are you sure? I know we just got Bailey, and life is going to be crazy for a while.”
I nod my head and laugh. "I’m positive, Joker. I want it all, so why waste anymore time when we are both ready?" Life is certainly going to be an adventure, but I know that with him supporting me, we're unstoppable. He gets a wicked smile on his face and pulls back, walking into the bathroom and comes back quickly with my birth control pills and throws them in the trash, making me laugh.
“You're crazy. You do know it’s going to take a while for it to happen, right?” He pulls me back into his arms.
“But it’s going to be so much fun practicing until it happens.”
With that, he seals his lips to mine, taking my breath right along with him as he kisses me senseless. His lips taste of coffee and chaos. His kiss is as reckless as he is, and I love every minute of it. I know this is a promise for later, and I’m looking forward to it.
We both pull back and hold on to each other. I know that in this life and the next, no matter what happens, we will always have each other, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Epilogue
Bailey
I’m standing at the cemetery where my birth mother’s remains are, knowing I’m finally going to say my piece and move on with my life. It took me a long time to finally be at where I am today. To know the people in my life aren’t going anywhere, that they love me like their own because to them I am. Growing up, I needed that validation that every time they walked out of the house, they would come right back. The one thing that did help me get through everything was therapy, and I’m so glad I went. I walk towards the back, knowing that is where she is resting, and when I reach her name, I stand before it and restmy flowers down. All it has is her name, Jenna Fisher, and her date of birth and death. When they told me she had died years ago, I didn’t know how to feel. My emotions were all over the place because, at the end of the day, she was still my mother, even though she didn’t do anything for me but cause me pain. I learned through therapy that it was okay to feel sad that she was gone and to let go of all my hurt that she and Leo caused me. I couldn't hold on to the anger. I had to learn to let it go, and once I did, I was a much happier person.
But now that I’m here, all those emotions are coming back. It’s why I waited this long to come here. I sigh and take a seat on the grass. I play with the flowers I brought, needing something to do with my hands.
“Hi Mom, I came here today to tell you I forgive you. I forgive you for not loving me like you should have, for leaving me and walking away. For neglecting me when all I wanted was for you to love me like a mother should. It took me a long time to realize it was never my fault what I went through. The nights when I cried myself to sleep hungry because you spent all the money on drugs. Or all the times you watched as Leo beat me so badly he left scars all over my body. Which I still have, by the way. I had the option of getting plastic surgery, but I wanted a reminder of what I went through and how I came out stronger than ever because of it. I graduated high school and I’m off to university to become a social worker to advocate for the kids who need it. I no longer hold on to the pain, the anger at what you allowed to happen to me. Because of all that you did, I found a real family who not only took me in but loved me as if I were their own. I have a real mom, dad, and brother who love and support me. An even bigger family who would do anything for me and have. I am happy. Today is my eighteenth birthday, not sure if you know or not, since you’ve never celebrated it before, so I knew that today was the day Icould finally come and let you go. So this is goodbye, and I hope that wherever you are, you are at peace because I know I am.”
With that, I get up and walk away without looking back, finally feeling that last little bit of sadness leave me. The sun shines down on me as I walk towards my car, which my parents bought for me for my birthday. They surprised me with it this morning. And it does not surprise see my dad standing by his bike, making me smile. He has always been there for me, so when I walk towards him, he opens his arms and envelopes me in his arms. Even after all this time, I always feel safe with him. They didn’t have to take me in all those years ago, but they did and became my biggest supporters in life. They both always made sure I went after my dreams and loved me through all my ups and downs.
“Are you okay, Bailey Bee?” Dad’s gruff voice vibrates through me. His arms are my safe haven.
“I’m okay, Dad. I guess Mom told you where I would be.” Pulling back, I lean against my car, letting the sun shine on me.
He looks around the parking lot, always on high alert with our safety. “She did. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Did you say all that you needed to say?”
“I did. It was the last piece I needed to do to be able to fully move on, and I’m glad I waited to do it. If I haven’t said it enough, thank you for taking me in all those years ago. Without you and mom I don’t know where I would be. I love you guys.” My voice breaks at the end because I truly do see them both as my parents, and I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me.
I watch my dad swallow, trying to keep his emotions in check. “You don’t have to thank us. You are our child, and we love you just as much as we love Kaiden. Though you are definitely my favorite, just don’t tell your mom that.” He winks at me, making me laugh.
“Your secret is safe with me, Dad.”
He walks around my car and opens the door for me, helping me inside. “I’ll follow you to the clubhouse. Everyone is waiting for us. Be safe.”
He closes my door, and I wait as he mounts his bike, starting it up. He waits until I pull out and follows me, making me smile. My family is waiting for me to celebrate my graduation because soon I’m headed off to university. But the closer I get to the clubhouse, the more nervous I become because I know a certain person is going to be there, and he makes my heart flutter. Nicholas Steele is the epitome of a bad-boy biker, and I’ve been in love with him since I was sixteen. Let's hope I can avoid him tonight because if not, I’m bound to tell him how I feel.
Joker
The party is in full swing. All of our family and friends are here to celebrate our baby girl graduating with honors. I have no idea where the time has gone, but here we are at Bailey Bee’s birthday and graduation party. My little girl is not so little anymore, and she is going off to university soon, and I couldn’t be more proud of her with how far she has come.
The first time I heard her call me dad, I cried like a baby, and I’m not afraid to admit that. Don’t get me wrong, we have had our ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade my family for anything. My son, who's so much like me it's scary. He takes his role as protector seriously and watches over his sister and mom when I’m not around. I know when he is older he will be a patched member; that's all he can talk about. Hell, all of my brother's sons want to be in the club. They are the next generation and are just waiting to take over from us. We still have a few more years of that happening. Madison is still a sweet angel who has put up with a lot of my shit, though she blames me for her grayhair, but I know she loves me. Hell, I wouldn’t be Joker if I didn’t keep them all on their toes. Just yesterday she banned me from the bakery again. I went in there with the intention of dropping off lunch for her. Instead, I took her to her office and just ate her for lunch and made her orgasm twice. Which made her burn a cake. I'm definitely not sorry about that, and by the look on her face when I left, she wasn’t either.
Speaking of my wife, I watch her walk towards me, and even after all these years together, I still find her just as beautiful as the first day I met her. She walks to my side as I put my arms around her as we watch our family.
“It was a good day.” She sighs, holding onto me.
“Yeah, it was angel. I can’t believe Bailey Bee is eighteen and leaving us to go to university already.”
